The Light at the End
by Capybara
Summary: Bad title. I know. Basically, a oneshot 'kick' about Kagura and Sesshomaru. Terrible summary, terrible title, good story, in my opinion. But I want to know what you think! Why else would I post this?


Written: 10-18-05

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

A/N: Hello. I haven't uploaded anything in an ETERNITY, so I decided to post this for the hell of it. I had a little obsession with the Kagura/Sesshomaru pairing, and this would be the result of it. Sadly, I was lazy. This is what I call a "kick"--meaning, that I write the best part of a story, without bothering with all the background/lead-up stuff. So...yeah...you kind of have to make inferences about what has 'happened'. I'll tell you this: Kagura and Sesshomaru have definitely had some previous contact. Yeah. One more thing, then I'll shut up. I have NOT seen the ending of Inuyasha, and I don't want to know yet. Obviously, this will not be like the ending, and I apologize, but please don't tell me what actually happens. Please? Okay, I'll shut up! Please, if you can, enjoy...

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Finally he was through with her. He gave her a final blow across the face; a superficial blow to what he had inflicted on her through her heart, but its meaning was not lost on her. Kagura didn't bother to crawl back up. She was content laying sprawled on the floor, trying not to focus on the pain she was in, ore the blood that crawled across her skin. It was amazing what not being mortal could do—she didn't even have a heart in her body; yet she could still bleed blood. Cold blood. Lifeless blood. Truly she was just a puppet of Naraku. Her dream of freedom had never felt farther away. A thought crossed her battered mind. She didn't have to fight him. He was good enough to her; what magic was there in free will anyway? Was it not enough to be content with bending to his will and living as close to a life as possible without pain? Without all of this agony that her attempt at glorious freedom was causing her? Surely this was too much of a price to pay for freedom.

Kagura knew that her mind hadn't come up with this concept independently. Naraku's mind was easing those sickly sweet thoughts into her mind. She didn't fight them. Or maybe it really was her thought alone. Maybe she was ready to give up. Kagura tried to stifle the coughs that brought blood into her mouth. Naraku didn't need to know that she was so horribly, utterly, completely beaten. But of course he would, no matter how she tried to hide it. What was the point?

There was that quiet comforting voice in her head again. Give in, it tempted, everything would be so nice if only she would stop struggling against it. Were not roses beautiful until you tried to pick them? And then did not the rose punish you by sinking in its sharp barbs? But a rose was so beautiful to look at... That was what her life could be like, the voice insisted softly, if only she wouldn't insist on trying to pick the rose; to make the beauty her own.

Another cough racked her body. More blood. It was what woke her up. She had almost given in. But the taste in her mouth wasn't sweet, wasn't wonderful, as the voice promised it would be. No. She would never give in. Kagura ran her tongue around her teeth, trying to taste as much of her blood as she could. This was hers. Naraku couldn't control the taste of her blood And he wouldn't control her.

She felt a small smile slide on her face at the final decision she had made. There was no allure to the silvery voice in her head now. She had won. Footsteps. Naraku stood in front of her. She didn't look up to see him.

"Have you learned your lesson yet, Kagura?" His voice showed no indication of the seething anger and hatred that radiated off of him. She didn't answer. She only coughed quietly. The voice in her head was gone. Her mind was truly her own again. She has won for now.

"Kagura. I don't want to kill you. You're my favorite, after all. And you're still useful to me. In fact…there is one way to make up for your bad behavior."

Kagura hardly listened. She didn't want to make up for her behavior. And surely he know she was of no use to him in this condition? Even with her power it would take a day or two to recover.

"Yes…" Naraku chuckled at some perverse thought. "In fact…you just need to do a little favor for me, and I'll forgive you entirely." Kagura fought down a shiver at his laugh. She was suddenly filled with dread; whatever he wanted of her, her subconscious could sense enough from the proximity of his mind that it was something she absolutely didn't want to do.

Naraku kneeled down. Kagura tried to look away, but his hand caught her chin and jerked her face towards his.

"This will make you as good as new," He promised in his deceptive voice that almost could have been mistaken for genuine goodwill. He held something in his hand. A jewel shard. Kagura tried to jerk her face away, but to no avail. She was far too weak. Naraku forced the jewel shard into her mouth Kagura cried out. She couldn't taste her blood anymore; all she could taste was the intoxicating rush of power. This jewel shard would kill her for sure. It was tainted with Naraku's energy, and with it she would have no chance of any more freewill. She would be just like Kohaku. Her nightmare had come true.

Uselessly she tried to fight the will of the jewel shard. She swallowed it. Instantly she felt the true change begin to take place. Her body and heart began to subside in their aching; she could feel the wounds closing, Her strength returned to her, then went beyond the bounds it had occupied previously. She had never felt this much power before. Vaguely she felt herself stand up, confirming to her that the jewel shard had complete control over the power she had been given. All she could do was feel the horror and despair of being only a spectator.

"That's better. Don't you feel better now, Kagura?" Naraku asked, as sincere as a snake nestled up to a baby bird. She tried to stop the reply her throat disobediently formed, but only managed to delay it an instant.

"Yes, Lord Naraku. I feel much better," Her body answered. Her spirit screamed silently.

"Good. Now, Kagura. I believe we have a visitor that needs to be taken care of. He just arrived a minute ago. What perfect timing!" Naraku giggled. Kagura's body obediently began to walk in the direction he pointed. Naraku followed behind her, an insane smile on his face. Kagura tried to make her body move, to rid itself of the unwelcome host.

Useless.

Her attempts were useless.

Her hand opened the door, and Kagura's internal scream was only rivaled by Naraku's gleefully maniacal laughter.

"I've come to kill you, Naraku," Sesshomaru said calmly, drawing Tokijin. Naraku laughed some more.

"Kagura," Kagura had never felt anything like the horror that tore through her as he finished the command she had known he would make. "Kill Sesshomaru."

"Yes, Lord," Her body replied, and prepared a wind-spell. Kagura watched through her eyes that only served as windows to the inevitable. There was nothing she could do, nothing she could say. She wanted to tell Sesshomaru that, no, she didn't want to kill him. It was Naraku's command! How ironic. This must be what Inuyasha and his idiot entourage always preached about. She wasn't naïve enough to believe in love, but this must be the emotion that the illusion of love was patterned after. This must be what they fought for.

Sesshomaru's eyes showed nothing of the sudden betrayal of his lover. Kagura couldn't decide whether that hurt her more than it spared her. If he didn't…share this same emotional attachment…then he would kill her. Without hesitation. No doubt she wouldn't be able to kill a demon like him. Good. If this was what she would have to call living from now on, she wanted to die. And then there would be no struggle, no silvery voice tempting her to hell. There would be nothing.

"Dance of Blades!" Her body yelled out. Any hope Kagura had for Sesshomaru's easy victory was instantly destroyed. How could a single jewel shard make her this powerful? Sesshomaru dodged, and lashed out with Tokijin. Her body dodged without effort. He slashed at her again, and again. Her body was too quick; the wind too swift. They parried blows time and time again, for so long that Kagura began to wonder whether their combat was what made Naraku laugh, or whether his laugh was the beat to which they fought. Sesshomaru was tiring. That much she could tell, even if he refused to show any outward signs of it. He couldn't keep up at this pace forever, like her body appeared to. He tried for her again, missed, but this time was not fast enough to dodge the retaliating blow. Her body laughed in triumph. Her spirit cried for him to get back up.

Get back up he did, but it was onto unsteady legs. Not that he didn't try to disguise it. But she knew him; she could see.

Her body floated just inches from him, enjoying every moment. Sesshomaru raised his blade in a half-hearted attempt to catch her pressing her luck to far, Her body raised the magical fan, and muttered a fatal incantation. The end was apparent. Why was Sesshomaur moving so slowly? She would finish her incantation first, and at this range, not even Sesshomaru stood a chance. Kagura tried to still her tongue, to give Sesshomaru a chance. But once more it was futile. Time slowed to a disgusting crawl. Everything she saw in slow motion. The wind howled around her, waiting for the final syllable command to kill the demon in front of her. Sesshomaru met Kagura's eyes fearlessly. He knew he was dead too. Kagura tried to make her body ay least look away from his eyes, when she saw something. Blood. A thin stream of red ran down from the corner of his mouth. Suddenly Kagura could taste the blood in her mouth. Naraku hadn't won yet. She was still bleeding. Kagura strained her spirit, and her body froze. Her lips no longer formed the words to the hateful incantation. Her entire body just stopped, paralyzed for that one second as Kagura fought Naraku--

--it was all she could do. A moment later the jewel shard forced her back and Kagura lost control of her body again.

Just as a cold steel blade slid straight through where her heart should have been.

Kagura looked calmly at the sword impaled to the hilt in her chest, before realizing that _she_had looked. In the bright scarlet stream of blood that gushed forth, a single glowing shard sparkled for a second before being washed away. Kagura was surprised that the sword did not hurt; rather, it was pleasantly warm. She look away form the sword and at Sesshomaru. She smiled, the first true smile she had ever formed. Then, Sesshomaru slid the warm blade from her chest, and she fell limply to the ground. This was what freedom must feel like. The warmth the sword had left her with soon spread throughout her entire body, and Kagura shut her eyes to join the darkness. The free darkness.

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A pounding. Almost like a drum, but far more primitive. Perhaps the sound that had first inspired the drum. It was a part of her. Each throb beat through her, and her body beat with it. It was the most wonderful beat she had ever heard—felt—been—she decided.

"Get up." Ah. A voice to interrupt the wonderful music. But rather than interrupt the beating, it was in tune with it. It enriched the sound. What was this wonderful music; the combination of a throb and a voice?

Kagura opened her eyes. Sesshomaru stood before her. She willed her body to sit up. She didn't have to force it.

"Naraku is dead." The words meant nothing to her for a moment. Naraku was dead? The steady beat increased its pace as she realized what Sesshomaru meant.

"I will leave you here," Sesshomaru threatened with utmost seriousness. Kagura stood up, shakily. She realized something. She glanced down at her chest. Her kimono was soaked with dried blood. More than she could ever have lost and lived.

Her question was evident in her eyes.

"I believe I may finally understand why Father gave me the Tensaiga." Tensaiga? Yes. That was Sesshomaru's other sword. A life-giving sword. Suddenly she realized what he was implying.

"You..?" She touched her chest. There was no hole there. Then she felt something. A throb. In time with the one in the rest of her body. Then she understood. The magical music…was…her heartbeat. Her own heart. Her eyes filled with water. How strange. She had never been able to cry before.

"Rin will be waiting," Sesshomaru said as he turned to walk off. Kagura thought she had seen an invitation in his eyes. She hesitated. Then her heart beat. Again. And again. Truly she was free. This was what she had always wanted. Kagura blinked the first tears she had ever shed out of her eyes and walked quickly after Sesshomaru. Her heart sounded in time with her footsteps. With his footsteps. With their footsteps.

"How rude of him to steal my heart so shortly after giving it to me," she muttered under her breath. Sesshomaru stopped and looked back. And though he tried to disguise it, Kagura knew he was smiling.

A/N: So what did you think? Cheesy, right? Yeah...sorry...Please tell me what you think! But remember, PLEASE don't spoil the real ending for me!


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